--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mystic: a person who is puzzled before…" description: "\"Mystic: a person who is puzzled before the obvious, but who understands the non-existent.\" — Elbert Hubbard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cf/elbert-hubbard-510_mystic_mystic-a-person-who-is-puzzled-before-th_448180.png" --- # Mystic: a person who is puzzled before the obvious, but… ![“Mystic: a person who is puzzled before the obvious, but who understands the non-existent.” quote by Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cf/elbert-hubbard-510_mystic_mystic-a-person-who-is-puzzled-before-th_448180.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cf/elbert-hubbard-510_mystic_mystic-a-person-who-is-puzzled-before-th_448180.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cf/elbert-hubbard-510_mystic_mystic-a-person-who-is-puzzled-before-th_448180.png) > “Mystic: a person who is puzzled before the obvious, but who understands the non-existent.” [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that true mystics are confused by obvious truths yet grasp intangible concepts that others ignore. **In simple terms:** Mystics see hidden meaning beyond the obvious. Key Takeaway Embrace paradoxical thinking. Themes mysticism paradox perception Mood thoughtful enigmatic Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - philosophical contemplation - creative brainstorming - spiritual practice Key Concepts existentialism epistemology Questions to Reflect On - How can paradoxical insight be applied daily? - What does “non‑existent” mean to you? A Different Perspective The idea may be too abstract for practical application. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mystic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mystic/) [Mysticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mysticism/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [A mystic is a person who sees the facts as inadequate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/a-mystic-is-a-person-who-sees-the-facts-as-inadequate/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Mysticism, according to its historical and psychological definitions, is the direct intuition or experience of God; and a mystic is a person who has,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-underhill/mysticism-according-to-its-historical-and-psychological-definitions/) [Evelyn Underhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-underhill/) > [“My vocation in life is to wonder about at the nature of the universe. This leads me into philosophy, psychology, religion, and mysticism, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/my-vocation-in-life-is-to-wonder-about-at-the-nature-of-the-universe/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [A mystic is a spiritual realist, a person for whom the Invisible is a matter of more or less firsthand experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-parkinson-keyes/a-mystic-is-a-spiritual-realist-a-person-for-whom-the-invisible-is-a/) [Frances Parkinson Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-parkinson-keyes/) > [I had been a kind of natural mystic my whole life, growing up there in Tennessee next to the river. Somehow, that was important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coleman-barks/i-had-been-a-kind-of-natural-mystic-my-whole-life-growing-up-there-in/) [Coleman Barks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coleman-barks/) > [“When the fuel is dried up in a vehicle, it stops driving automatically. 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Real mystics don't hide mysteries, they reveal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton-2/it-s-just-because-i-have-picked-a-little-about-mystics-that-i-have-no/) [G. K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton-2/) ## More by Elbert Hubbard > [The teacher is one who makes two ideas grow where only one grew before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-teacher-is-one-who-makes-two-ideas-grow-where-only-one-grew-before/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [The highest reward that God gives us for good work is the ability to do better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-highest-reward-that-god-gives-us-for-good-work-is-the-ability-to/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Art is nothing; it's a way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/art-is-nothing-it-s-a-way/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Library: A place where the dead lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/library-a-place-where-the-dead-lie/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [“If we cannot be happy and powerful and prey on others, we invent conscience and prey on ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/if-we-cannot-be-happy-and-powerful-and-prey-on-others-we-invent/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [The poor and ignorant will continue to lie and steal as long as the rich and educated show them how.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-poor-and-ignorant-will-continue-to-lie-and-steal-as-long-as-the/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [So long as governments set the example of killing their enemies, private individuals will occasionally kill theirs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/so-long-as-governments-set-the-example-of-killing-their-enemies/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [If I supply you with a thought, you may remember it and you may not. But if I can make you think a thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/if-i-supply-you-with-a-thought-you-may-remember-it-and-you-may-not/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 A conservative is a man who is too cowardly to fight and too fat to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/1-2-3-4-5-a-conservative-is-a-man-who-is-too-cowardly-to-fight-and/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [The great man is not so great as folks think, and the dull man is not quite so stupid as he seems. The difference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-great-man-is-not-so-great-as-folks-think-and-the-dull-man-is-not/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Every knock is a boost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/every-knock-is-a-boost/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [What boy well raised can compare with your street gamin who has the knowledge and the shrewdness of a grown-up broker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/what-boy-well-raised-can-compare-with-your-street-gamin-who-has-the/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Don't make excuses, make good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/don-t-make-excuses-make-good/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [What people need and what they want may be very different… Teachers are those who educate the people to appreciate the things they need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/what-people-need-and-what-they-want-may-be-very-different-teachers/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Men who sit back and pride themselves on their culture haven't any to speak of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/men-who-sit-back-and-pride-themselves-on-their-culture-haven-t-any-to/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) [Explore all 506 Elbert Hubbard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) ## More Mystic quotes > [A language possesses utility only insofar as it can construct conventional boundaries. A language of no boundaries is no language at all, and thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/a-language-possesses-utility-only-insofar-as-it-can-construct/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [The laws keep up their credit, not by being just, but because they are laws; 'tis the mystic foundation of their authority; they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/the-laws-keep-up-their-credit-not-by-being-just-but-because-they-are/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [It is because I perceive the danger in the practice of mystic wonders, that I loath, abhor, and am ashamed thereof.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/it-is-because-i-perceive-the-danger-in-the-practice-of-mystic-wonders/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [It is the property of things seen for the first time, or for the first time after long, like the flowers in spring, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/it-is-the-property-of-things-seen-for-the-first-time-or-for-the-first/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [A Sufi mystic who had always remained happy was asked… For seventy years people had watched him, he had never been found sad. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/a-sufi-mystic-who-had-always-remained-happy-was-asked-for-seventy/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Anywhere everywhere! Anything anyhow! just dance!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/anywhere-everywhere-anything-anyhow-just-dance/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“Only God - only Love gets to define us. Anything else is a mere shadow at best and an outright lie at worst.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-toon/only-god-only-love-gets-to-define-us-anything-else-is-a-mere-shadow/) [Catherine Toon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-toon/) > [and while faith based on theological reasoning is today universally engaged in a bitter struggle with doubt and resistance from the prevailing brand of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/and-while-faith-based-on-theological-reasoning-is-today-universally/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) > [The perfect mystic is not an ecstatic devotee lost in contemplation of Oneness, nor a saintly recluse shunning all commerce with mankind, but "the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abu-sa-id-abul-khayr/the-perfect-mystic-is-not-an-ecstatic-devotee-lost-in-contemplation/) Abu-Sa'id Abul-Khayr > [Faith is the commitment of one's consciousness to beliefs for which one has no sensory evidence or rational proof. When man rejects reason as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/faith-is-the-commitment-of-one-s-consciousness-to-beliefs-for-which/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [For there is a virtue in truth; it has an almost mystic power. Like radium, it seems to give off forever and ever grains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-there-is-a-virtue-in-truth-it-has-an-almost-mystic-power-like/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [People came up: 'I thought you were 6 ft tall.' I'm average height - 5 ft 8 ins, skinny blonde. One guy says to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-roberts/people-came-up-i-thought-you-were-6-ft-tall-i-m-average-height-5-ft-8/) [Julia Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-roberts/) > [Now, occultism is not like mystic faculty, and it very seldom works in harmony either with business aptitude in the things of ordinary life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-waite/now-occultism-is-not-like-mystic-faculty-and-it-very-seldom-works-in/) [A. E. Waite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-waite/) > [No one appreciates a professional anymore. Everyone's a mystic. Which is why I take drunk Jim over acid Jim - the argument all roads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-bejar/no-one-appreciates-a-professional-anymore-everyone-s-a-mystic-which/) [Dan Bejar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-bejar/) > [The greatness of the human personality begins at the hour of birth. From this almost mystic affirmation there comes what may seem a strange…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/the-greatness-of-the-human-personality-begins-at-the-hour-of-birth/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) [Browse all 376 Mystic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mystic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Mystic: a person who is puzzled before the obvious, but who understands the non-existent.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elbert Hubbard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/mystic-a-person-who-is-puzzled-before-the-obvious-but-who-understands/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Mystic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/mystic-a-person-who-is-puzzled-before-the-obvious-but-who-understands/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cf/elbert-hubbard-510_mystic_mystic-a-person-who-is-puzzled-before-th_448180.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cf/elbert-hubbard-510_mystic_mystic-a-person-who-is-puzzled-before-th_448180.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cf/elbert-hubbard-510_mystic_mystic-a-person-who-is-puzzled-before-th_448180.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mystic: a person who is puzzled before the obvious, but who understands the non-existent.” — Elbert Hubbard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Elbert Hubbard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Mystic: a person who is puzzled...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/mystic-a-person-who-is-puzzled-before-the-obvious-but-who-understands/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/mystic-a-person-who-is-puzzled-before-the-obvious-but-who-understands/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```